Supporting and dispensing device for canned goods and the like



Oct. 4, 1960 G. J. MATHEWS SUPPORTING AND DISPENSING DEVICE'FOR CANNED GOODS AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 18, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. I

GEORGE J. MATHEWS INVENTOR.

BY 6g A TT'Y Oct. 4, 1960 G. J. MATHEWS 2,954,875

SUPPORTING AND DISPENSING DEVICE'FOR CANNED GOODS AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 18, 1957 GEORGE J. MATHEWS INVENTOR W A TY FIG. 6

United States Patent O SUPPORTING AND DISPENSING DEVICE FOR CANNED GOODS AND THE LIKE George J. Mathews, Portland, Oreg., assignor to Albert D. Corrado, Portland, Oreg.

Filed Dec. 18, 1957, Ser. No. 703,570

1 Claim. (Cl. 211-49) This invention relates to improvements in supporting and dispensing racks, for containers having a circumferential or perimetrical bead at their top end, of the type shown and described in my (so-pending application Serial No. 599,865, filed July 24, 1956.

It is one of the principal objects of the present invention to provide a rack of the character described including the feature of being adapted to support a container in a suspended condition with its open end covered by the rack.

Another object of this invention is to provide a rack which can be made inexpensively from a single sheet of material and track-forming strips of like material secured to the top and bottom surfaces of the sheet or by integrating the sheet and tracks by a simple molding operation.

A further object is to provide a rack having the characteristics specified and comprising means for securing the sheet to either the bottom surface of a horizontal supporting shelf for suspending the containers as aforesaid or to the top surface thereof for supporting th econtainers on top of the shelf. The sheet is also adapted for vertical mounting relative to a horizontal support or shelf whereby said containers can be supported in positions extending laterally from one or both sides thereof.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a rack made in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing the rack in an inverted position.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing means for supporting the rack in either of the positions shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a slightly modified form of rack supported upon a shelf in a vertical position.

Figures 5 and 6 are front elevational views of further modifications.

With continuing reference to the drawing, wherein similar reference characters designate similar parts throughout, and particularly to Figures 1 and 2 thereof, reference numeral 1 indicates generally a plate of flat sheet material which may be of square or rectangular shape in plan view.

Track members 2 and 3 are secured in any approved manner to the top surface of the plate 1 along both marginal side edges thereof and track members 4 and 5 v are similarly secured to the bottom surface of the plate.

those on the bottom surface of the plate.

positioned as in Figure 1 will accommodate cans 11 of Patented Oct.' 4,1960

lCe,

Thus therack prepared infants food, for example, for suspension by engagement of their beaded top end 12 with the flanges of the bottom track members 4, 7 and 5 and similar en gagement and suspension when the plate 1 is inverted (Figure 2) of larger or junior size cans 13 of food by engagement of their top beaded end 14 with the flanges of the track members 2, 6 and 3.

For securing the track to a horizontal supporting shelf, indicatedby broken lines, in either of the positions shown in Figures 1 and 2, I provide the side track elements 2-5 with apertures 15 and one or more of the intermediate track members 6 with an aperture 16 to accommodate fastening elements, not shown. As a substitute for the fastening elements I may provide, as shown in Figure 3, a pair of rails 17 and 18 secured to the underside of a shelf for slidably supporting the rack in either of the positions shown in Figures 1 and 2. By this arrangement either side of the rack 1 may be preloaded as shown in Figures 1 and 2 at a point remote from the shelf to which the rails 17 and 18 are secured and then the rack can be slid into a supported position between the rails 17 and 18. This novel support for the rack also permits of easy removal thereof for cleaning purposes.

For mounting the rack in a vertical position upon a cabinet shelf 19, as shown in Figure 4, I provide one end of the side track member 3A with an apertured bracket 20 for attachment to a back wall 21 of the shelf with the opposite track members 2A and 4A resting upon the shelf. By this arrangement the cans 11A and/or 13A can be supported in lateral positions with their beaded end in engagement with their respective track members 7A and 6A. I

The upper and lower racks indicated generally at 22 and 23, respectively, in Figure 5 are identical except for their respective number of track members 6B7B and 6C7C. The side track members 5B-5C are extended downwardly as shown and apertured as at 25 and 26 to accommodate fastening elements, not shown, for securing the rackes, one above the other, to partition walls 27 and 28 of a shelf 29 or to the vertical walls of a cabinet or other suitable storage compartment.

In the further modified form of rack shown in Figure 6 I provide a single series of side track members 30 and 31 and intermediate track members 32, 33 and 34 extending downwardly from the plate 35 a greater distance than those in the other forms and irregularly spaced apart as shown to accommodate, for example, jars with a twist-01f cap 36, pry-off caps 37-38, and a screw cap 39. The opposing flanges of side track 30 and track 32 are beveled upwardly and inwardly to provide clearance for the short inwardly curved neck portion of the type of glass jar provided with and suspended by the twist-off cap 36. The opposing edges of the flanges of track members 32 and 33 are rounded to prevent their becoming chipped when receiving the annular glass flange 40 by means of which the jar provided with the pry-off cap 37 is suspended by the track flanges.

As to the method of producing the various racks herein shown and described it will be readily understood that the track members of Figures 1, 2 and 3 may be fabricated of strip material as shown or as shown in Figures 4, 5 and 6 may be integrally molded with their respective supporting plates.

It will be noted in Figures 1, 2, 3 and 5 that the top end of each can is held close to the underside of the track-supporting plate which could thus serve as a closure for open cans suspended by their respective track members.

While I have shown and described particular forms of embodiment of my invention I am aware that many-minor changes therein will readily suggest themselves to others 3 skilled in the art without "departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Having thus described my invention What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

A horizontally disposed rack for suspending "containers by one of their ends and adapted for slidable suspension fromrthe underside of a shelf, a pair of spaced apart parallel rails adapted for securement to the underside of a shelf and'having opposing lateral flanges, said rack cornprising a substantially square flat plate, a plurality of spaced apart parallel track members "secured to opposite sides of said plate, each 'of said track members being fabricated of strip materialwith the top and bottom strips thereof being of greater Width than intennediate strips whereby to provide lateral flanges throughout their length along their sides for engagement with Jone end of containers between thetrack members whereby one side of the rack may be loaded with containers while supported 4 by said rails or whereby either side of the rack may be preloaded at a point remote from said rails and then slid into a supported position between the rails, and whereby said containers are adapted -'-for successive advancement throughout the length of said tracks either to the front end or to the rear end of the rack for smooth uninterrupted withdrawal from either end of said tracks.

References Cited in the file of this patent, UNITED STATES PATENTS 

